Message from the President

In my March letter I asked you to consider the many excellent reasons that
you should apply for your Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®) designation. Many of
you did exactly that because Susan Austin Carney, JD, NAEPC's Designation
Administrator in our Cleveland headquarters, reports a significant increase in
application requests. If you do not hold that designation or were not one of the
responders during the past month, please do contact Susan now so that every
member of a local estate planning council can demonstrate a commitment to
his/her clients that they are dealing with a professional who is confident
enough in her/his abilities to subscribe to the TEAM concept of estate planning.
Let's have hundreds more attending our AEP® Hour at our National Conference in
Orlando on November 7 -9!

Although earning the AEP® designation is one of the most important and
valuable benefits available to NAEPC members, it is far from being the only
significant reason for your local council to enjoy NAEPC membership. Our Member
Benefits Committee has done a remarkable job in its short existence by creating
over 40 relationships with firms who offer discounts to you in goods and
services that all relate specifically to your estate planning practice.
Utilizing just a few of these discounts can save you several times the amount
you pay in local council dues! Scroll down within this newsletter in order to
view all the benefits available to you. And while we are
on the subject of Member Benefits, I want to personally thank the Chair of that
committee, Cindy Causby, CTFA, AEP®, and her committee members, M. Eileen
Dougherty, CTFA, CFP®, AEP®, ChFC®, Pettus C. Gibbons, MEd, CLU®, ChFC®, LUTCF,
AEP®, Paul S. Viren, CLU®, ChFC®, AEP®, and NAEPC Administrator Eleanor M.
Spuhler. These dedicated professionals are just four of the dozens of board and
committee volunteers from almost every state who make NAEPC the vibrant and
growing professional association that is has become!

Finally, I mentioned above our National Conference in Orlando. John O'Meara,
JD, CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, AEP®, and his National Conference Committee have once
again put together an outstanding program. Every first time attendee with whom I
have visited over the past several years has expressed his/her pleasant surprise
over the quality of the speakers, the involvement of the sponsors and
exhibitors, and the opportunity to rub shoulders and visit with the top
practitioners in the estate planning profession during the breaks in the Exhibit
Hall and during the other social events that are so much an integral part of the
conference. It is now only April, but November 7 - 9 will be here before we know
it, so block off those dates on your calendar now and register to attend early.
Some of you with young children or grandchildren may want to piggy-back some
extra days at Walt Disney World, and others may want to enjoy the Festival of
the Masters art show or the Epcot® International Food & Wine Show. I look
forward to saying hello to each of you at the Buena Vista Palace in just a few
short months!

Who Are We?

Reflections on the Values of NAEPC...

It is hard to believe that I have now held the Accredited Estate Planner®
(AEP®) designation for 16 years. The meaning and the reasons for wanting to
acquire the designation have not changed over this timeframe, but have only been
reinforced with the passage of time. There are six professional designations
that have long been associated with the field of estate planning. However, with
the possible exception of the CTFA designation, these professional designations
do not connote a practice or expertise exclusively devoted to estate planning.
Read more.

Please plan on joining us from November 7 - 9, 2012 in Orlando,
Florida. The hosting property, Buena Vista Palace, is near Downtown Disney and
the conference is timed to be near both the
Festival of the Masters art show and the
Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival… this conference provides
a perfect opportunity to plan a family vacation or some extra time away!
Conference attendees are eligible to take advantage of special Walt Disney
World® discounts too!

Here are just a few of the reasons to attend…

Two full days of multi-disciplinary technical education led by nationally
recognized presenters

Exciting supplemental events, including a 2 or 3-day companion program and
a welcome reception

Network with trust & estate practitioners from across the country

Experience the Walt Disney World® Resort, special attendee-only discounts,
and exciting Disney events scheduled during the program dates

The annual conference always boasts an intriguing companion program, and 2012
will be no exception! Our exciting excursions include a trip to Kennedy Space
Center, "Afternoon Tea & Three Hot Laps" at the Richard Petty Driving
Experience, and Disney's Keys to the Kingdom Tour. Two- and three-day packages
are available and include breakfast and social events.

Accredited Estate Planner® Designation Information

The AEP® Committee is proud to declare that 51 new AEP® applicants were
approved during the first quarter of 2012. Of those applicants, 18 were
submitted by NAEPC-affiliated local estate planning councils. You may recall
that there are three methods by which a qualified candidate may become an AEP®;
self-nomination, NAEPC board & past president nomination and affiliated estate
planning council nomination. See more specific information on the council
nomination process in the paragraph below. I would like to personally thank the
councils that have promoted the AEP® designation. Some of you have developed
your own unique methods to encourage your council members to join the 1,600+
family of AEP® designation holders. I love hearing your stories and seeing your
creativity on your websites in the form of pictures, stories and "hot button"
access to application forms. Please continue to share your stories with the
national office or tell me yourself at the 49th Annual Conference in Orlando, FL
scheduled from November 7-9, 2012.

COUNCIL SPOTLIGHT

This quarter the Palm Beach County FL Council referred 5 new AEPs® and
Hampton Roads VA, referred 4 new AEPs®, and Lehigh Valley PA referred 2 new
AEPs®. We feel the love and thank you for the support. Councils who have each
referred one new member this quarter include; Bergen County, NJ, Boulder County,
CO, Central New York, NY, Fox Valley, IL, Milwaukee E & F Forum, WI, Northwest
Washington, WA, and Red River Valley, ND. Thank you for spreading the news, and in
many cases leading by example, as more and more council leaders and board members earn
the AEP® credential.

The Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®) designation is a graduate level
accreditation in estate planning obtained in addition to already recognized
professional credentials within the various disciplines that make up estate
planning: attorneys, accountants, insurance and financial planners and trust
officers. The only multi-disciplinary designation in estate planning, it is
awarded to estate planning professionals who meet special requirements of
education, experience, knowledge, professional reputation, and character. See
more details and download an
application form.

Give the public a way to identify you as a qualified professional estate
planner who has the expertise and experience necessary to handle complex
estate planning and/or business succession needs

Acquire access to potential clients through our national searchable
database

Tap into the resources of the NAEPC and special members' only benefits

Expand your networking opportunities with other estate planning
professionals from across the country by attending our annual national
conference and earn all of your estate planning hours required to keep the
AEP® designation active and in good standing

Each year, an affiliated local or regional estate planning council in good
standing may nominate candidates for the AEP® designation in each of the four
(4) professional disciplines of attorney; accountant; insurance and financial
planning; and trust officer. The maximum number of nominees for affiliated local
or regional estate planning councils in good standing with 100 members or less
will be one AEP® candidate in each of the four (4) professional disciplines
specified above, plus one (1) additional candidate from any of the four (4)
named disciplines. The maximum number of nominees for affiliated local or
regional estate planning councils in good standing with more than 100 members
will be two (2) AEP® candidates in each of such four (4) professional
disciplines, plus two (2) additional candidates from any of the four (4) named
disciplines.

These AEP® candidates must have fifteen (15) or more years of experience
engaged in estate planning and estate planning activities in one or more of the
professional disciplines described above and will be subject to the current AEP®
qualifications and requirements, except that the requirements for professional
references and affiliated local or regional estate planning council membership
verification will be waived. The application fee for Council AEP® candidate
nominees will be fifty percent (50%) of the regular application fee. (The
current AEP® application fee is $250.00; therefore, the current application fee
for Council AEP® candidate nominees is $125.00.) Council-nominated candidates
are subject to all annual AEP® membership dues and re-certification
requirements.

Nominations for these AEP® Candidates must be in the form of a board of
director's resolution signed by the council president and one additional council
officer of the affiliated local or regional estate planning council. A form can
be found with the council-nominated application at the following web address:
http://www.naepc.org/AEP_council.pdf.

Member Benefits, Programs & Services

NAEPC strives to offer our designees, councils and the affiliated local council membership high quality benefits, programs and services at value pricing. We continually look for opportunities that will enhance the value of your membership and make your practice more efficient.

Featured Benefit

EVERY
advisor...EVERY planner...EVERY agent
who has ever sold a product or given advice to someone 65 or older needs to be
at this webinar.

Program Overview

In 2008, insurance agent Glenn Neasham sold an indexed annuity to a female
senior citizen in the state of California, where such sales are approved for
people her age. He was later arrested and convicted of felony grand theft on the
claim that the woman was suffering from dementia at the time of the sale. In the
course of his defense, he has lost his license, his home, his assets, and his
dignity. He now subsists on charity while waiting to see if he will get a new
trial or return to jail to finish out his sentence.

This program is a live interview with attorneys and agents on the facts that
brought this case to trial, what Neasham might have done to prevent the problem,
and what you can do to avoid finding yourself in a similar situation. Richard M.
Weber, MBA, CLU, AEP® (Distinguished), a consultant to insurers and their agents
on the topic of effective and ethical selling, will moderate a discussion of the
case with industry experts John Olsen, CLU, ChFC, AEP®, Marc Silverman, MBA,
CLU, ChFC, CFP®, Guy Kornblum, JD, Burke Christensen, JD, CLU, and national
reporter Steven Morelli. The program is NOT to judge the guilt or innocence of
Glenn Neasham but to inform attendees of the new thresholds of peril in selling
products to seniors.

Attendees will explore:

The facts of the case as they were presented at trial

The California statute under which criminal charges were brought

The ethical issues surrounding sales to the elderly

The lessons to be learned

Featured Speakers:

Richard M. Weber, MBA, CLU, AEP® (Distinguished), is a 44-year veteran of the
life insurance industry, having been a successful agent, an insurance company
executive, and now a consultant to insurers and their agents on the topic of
effective and ethical selling. Author of more than 200 articles encompassing
products, sales practices, and the due diligence necessary to buy and sell
insurance, his newest book is Revealing Life Insurance Secrets: How the Pros
Pick, Design, and Evaluate Their Own Policies, published by Marketplace Books.
Mr. Weber has been a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals
since 1974 and currently serves as secretary of its board of directors. In
addition, Mr. Weber was inducted into the NAEPC Estate Planning Hall of Fame® in
2009.

NAEPC members and members of affiliated local councils receive a $20 discount
off the non-member price of $99.95 – use the link below to receive the $79.95
discounted price. There is no charge for current Society of FSP members. See
online registration.

New Educational Programs, Benefits,
Programs & Services!

BizActions has been a leader in the e-newsletter industry for over 10 years
and maintains a strong reputation among professional service firms and related
associations. As a “Best in Class” provider of e-newsletters and integrated
online solutions, BizActions has been helping professional service firms
dispense valuable and relevant information on a timely basis, generate and
identify qualified leads, enhance brand awareness, improve market visibility,
retain clients, measure return on marketing investment and build their business
one impression at a time. What can BizActions suite of tools do for your estate
planning practice?

Enhance your client relationships with consistent communications and
thought leadership - with a complete e-marketing solution that is easy and
customizable.

Increase the effectiveness and support of your client development efforts
- leverage your resources by implementing an integrated e-newsletter marketing
approach with a focus on your estate planning expertise and potential for
growth.

Expand new business opportunities with targeted marketing campaigns -
nurture prospects, clients and referral resources by sending out
communications at consistent regular intervals.

What are your options with BizActions estate planning e-newsletters?

Newsletter delivery frequency: up to 2 times per month.

Plus "on-demand" email radar messaging to targeted groups.

An extensive library of current articles in legal practice categories that
include: estate planning issues, wills, probate, investments, trusts and
general family planning topics.

For inclusion in your email newsletter, we provide a comprehensive online
catalog of re-usable banners that emphasize your firm's focus, strengths, and
skills.

An online branded estate planning guide posted to your website or linked
to the newsletter showcases professional expertise.

Dashboards to get a direct link to newsletter readership one click away
from your computer desktop.

Deliver specific content to specific groups with specific frequency.

Target specific messages based on what people are reading.

Direct unlimited customer support anytime during normal business hours.

Delivery rates will be higher than other email newsletters due to our
personal sending domain technology. CAN-Spam compliant.

BizActions will offer NAEPC members 20% off of the standard BizActions
pricing for estate planning and legal e-newsletters (an additional 3-year
discount program may also apply). This pricing includes use of the full
integrated BizActions solution launching a fully customizable estate planning
e-newsletter 2 times per month. Due to the nature of this product, orders are
handled by a sales consultant. Each client is assigned a team including a sales
consultant and a customer service representative. Call Brenda Sleeper at
866.240.8477 ext. 202.

WealthManagement.com is a community destination developed by Penton Media's
Wealth Management Group who produces two of the leading financial trade
publications, Registered Rep. and Trusts & Estates. As a community
member you will have the ability to establish a profile that will give you
valuable targeted exposure to the community. You will also have ongoing access
to Penton's financial service properties and expertise which includes a
Concierge Program that will support you as needed to effectively market to your
prime audience in a way no other website can offer. The Concierge Program can
provide you with an initial competitive analysis so you can gauge the market and
where you're currently positioned. Penton is then able to help you develop
content including white-papers, press releases, videos and webinars. Content can
then be plugged into a lead generation program like an eblast or newsletter and
distributed to a database of over 280,000 professionals.

Because of this new partnership, NAEPC members and members of affiliated
local councils can take advantage of a 50% discount on gold and platinum
community profiles! Simply enter "NAEPC" as the discount code when prompted.

Please remember… all members must utilize a user name/password to access
detailed ordering links and information. If you are an At-large member or member
of a council that utilizes passwords on a website hosted by NAEPC, you can use
the "I forgot my password" option. Others should contact NAEPC with questions
about the appropriate user name/password combination.

Council Relations Committee
Updates

Did you know? NAEPC offers several referral lists and documents available
for council use. Visit the "information for affiliated councils" section of
the website for the full list. We also offer a variety of council-only
benefits such as discounts on speaker gifts and award pieces, etc.
Take
a look today!

NAEPC offers all affiliated local councils website platforms at very
competitive yearly rates. The platforms are continuously enhanced to include
new features, many suggested by existing users. Contact the NAEPC office
today to obtain information about initiating new service or upgrading your
existing EPC site (including
a 50% discount program for the first year of new or upgraded service!).

Estate Planning Law Specialist Designation Information

The Estate Planning Law Specialist (EPLS) designation is available to attorneys and is administered by the Estate Law Specialist Board, Inc., an attorney-run subsidiary of the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. Attorneys who become board-certified under this program demonstrate a high level of professionalism and commitment to the concept of specialization. This program is currently the only program, other than certain state bar association programs which are only for residents of their particular states, accredited by the American Bar Association to Board-certify attorneys as Estate Planning Law Specialists.

Subscription Options

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